TransGenderism 101

As you read the following information, please keep in mind that there is much diversity among those who call themselves transgender or consider themselves members of the transgender community. For every statement that can be made about such issues, there is someone who will disagree with it.

A Transgender person is someone whose gender display at least sometimes runs contrary to what other people in the same culture would normally expect. Transgender folks come in several flavors:

    * MTF (male-to-female): born male but see themselves as partly to fully feminine.

    * FTM (femail-to-male): born female but see themselves as partly to fully masculine.

    * Intersex: born with a combination of male and female physiology.

Gender variations are more common than most people suspect, because many people hide their true nature out of fear of being ridiculed and for their safety and security.

Some common terms which apply to transgender individuals are crossdresser, transvestite, and transsexual.

A crossdresser or transvestite is someone who enjoys dressing as a member of the gender "opposite" from their birth gender, but has no desire to change their sex permanently. For many, crossdressing may be hardwired into the brain, begun at a very early age, and has continued over the years. It does not go away.

 
In general, transsexuals feel "in their soul" that they are not the gender they were born. They feel at odds with their own body and may consider themselves crossdressers prior to realizing they are transsexual. They may dress according to their preferred gender to feel more comfortable, but this is a temporary remedy. Many will undergo hormone therapy and sex reassignment surgery (SRS); other may simply live in their preferred gender role. Transsexuals prefer to blend in as opposed to being conspicuous.

Gender Identity vs Sexual Identity vs Sexual Orientation

    * Gender identity, sexual identity and sexual orientations, are independent of each other.

    * Gender identity is how you see yourself socially: man, woman, or a combination of both.

    * Sexual identity is how you see yourself physically: male, female, or in between.

    * Sexual orientation is which sex you find erotically attractive.

Transgenderism is not a sickness! Many therapists consider crossdressers to be "gender-gifted".

For additional information, check out the following web sites:

The International Foundation for Gender Education:
http://www.ifge.org

The Diversity Center - Santa Cruz
http://www.diversitycenter.org/ )

Transgender Forum

http://www.genderpsychology.org